Rise and shine those toenails

Post navigation

“Arise,(A) shine, for your light(B) has come,and the glory(C) of the Lord rises upon you.2 See, darkness(D) covers the earthand thick darkness(E) is over the peoples,but the Lord rises upon youand his glory appears over you.3 Nations(F) will come to your light,(G)and kings(H) to the brightness of your dawn. Isaiah 60: 1 -3 (NIV)

It was a late start today. I did not wake late but I was lazy and distracted. “Up n’ at ’em” for a 7 AM Saturday trail rendezvous, was still in bed.

As I would learn later this morning, some folks were working routinely on Saturdays, both one of my hike-mates and the young waitress who served breakfast to my wife and I. I have still to work on my gratitude if not also on my laziness. When I started out this morning my choice of “shortcuts” to the park was being worked on by a road crew. They were trimming overhanging branches at a river crossing west of Santee. It is the spot in the freeway which narrows from three lanes to two. One lane may have been unexpected, but I was not cutting brush outside. Even at 7:15 the morning was already warm to be working in the sun while surrounded by concrete.

Saturday is a often our day to catch up on tasks. Garden watered and trimmed. Dog poo cleaned up. Laundry started. Today is a little more for the critters. It is a “rise and shine” morning with an appointment to the groomer after the hike. Only two weeks into the August heat, Comet is again a little oily-looking and has an aroma. With them both off to the groomer, bedding in the wash, and an expectation of clean dogs later today, it was time to really clean my car. At least I am responsible enough to keep the cars in top running condition. Cleaning my car regularly is another matter. I generally only go to having someone wash my cars when there is a fund-raising wash for Girl Scouts, a youth softball team, or the Navy Chief Selectees. There were none today. Yet I am grateful for the car wash attendant who keeps the machines running, the trash emptied and the soap and wax filled. A small sign at the one I use indicates an employee lives on-site. And not to disturb him. “This door is not an office” it declares. Maybe he is grateful to have somewhere to live while the company owner has someone to monitor his property (it operates 24 hours).

I have other reasons to be grateful for someone working on my behalf on Saturdays. Or at least, for someone to work on my spouse’s behalf. While I have never set foot – pardon the pun – inside one, my wife’s appointment with the nail salon, is a spa treatment to pamper her. I then took her to brunch at a cafe in La Mesa while we waited for the dog groomers to complete Dexter and Comet. In conversation with the waitress, we learned that she had a decidedly upbeat attitude for working TWO jobs and getting up early to work at the cafe this morning. While I prefer about any breaking fast – as long as it is with coffee, this was an opportunity to be reminded of the good things in life. I had healthy avocado in my omelette. I am at a point in life where we are financially secure. My spiritual life is a source of personal security. There are clean cars outside. Clean dogs napping inside. A happy with happy toes. What more does one need?